1965 Cessna 150F

1600vw

1600vw

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Nov 12, 2012
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Central IL
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H.A.S.
First congrads on your purchase. I have purchased a few used airplanes in the shape you describe.

I want to learn everything about this airplane I can. I would borescope the cylinders, Anything that can come off, or open up is taken off or opened up.

I would go through the fuel system starting with the tanks or tank. Do more then check for leaks, you will be sticking something in these tanks to get a look around.

Sometimes a point and shoot camera can be used for this. Stick it in the tank and start taking pics. You will be suprised what you find. I have found everything from leaves, sticks, to you name it.

Get to know this airplane like the back of your hand. Make up log books and fill them in with what you find. If you have log books log what you are doing. Since this is a 150 you will need an A&P to help and sign off on this.

If you find yourself looking at something and thinking, I should look at that but really hate to take that apart...take it apart and look at it, use the borescope or camera where you can and take anything apart you can not get to.

Will you be able to see everything, no, but the more you look at the better you will feel when you start to fly her.

My 2 cents on how I get a New to me airplane up and flying again.

Tony
 
Thanks for your reply Tony! The borescope is a great idea. I definitely intend to get the help from an A&P at some point. It will need a ferry permit I'm sure at some point as well, so I would need the A&P signature on the permit anyways.
 
A couple of thoughts:
  1. Find a local mechanic. Take his advice.
  2. Join Cessna.org and start a few topics there. Lots of knowledgable, helpful people there.

Oh, and I'd assume nitrogen wasn't an option 50 years ago. If there are better options now, then use 'em.
 
I can not stress enough checking those tanks. I have found finger strainers plugged and the wrong finger strainer installed, to all sorts of crap in the tanks.

I saw with my own eye's an airplane that was not started in over 20 years come back to life. It even had a frozen engine. It does have chrome cylinders but still was a frozen or locked engine. Today it runs and flies great, after setting for over 20 years. It was in a hangar though, but this hangar leaked so bad it should have been outside.

Tony
 
Just another question:

In a similar situation, would any of you have a preference of repairing and flying it out vs. removing the wings and trailering it out? I was originally planning to trailer it, but have decided that I would rather not remove the wings if I don't have to. Any thoughts?
 
I've been curious about the tanks anyways..so good idea. I took the best look that I could at them. The right tank just looking through the filler hole looks pretty decent. The left tank is bone dry and looks like maybe it is pitted? Not too sure, but I definitely plan to inspect further.
 
repost of original questions, I think I messed up the original post:

Good Morning Everyone!

I am new to the forum and this is my first post. I have been looking everywhere for some advice on a 1965 Cessna 150F that I have just purchased. I have several questions and some different circumstances that I will list here:

The aircraft has not been flown or even started in about ten years. I has been sitting on a privately owned grass strip for that entire time. I was skeptical to say the least when I heard about it, but went to look anyways and was surprised at the condition that it is in. As such, when the owner told me how much he would take for it, I handed him the money. Even if it never flys again, I will still get my money back out of it one way or another....But that being said, I would so much like to fly it. Heres my questions:

1. I have some ideas on what I should do before trying to start the airplane. Can anyone suggest some things that they would do before starting a Continental o-200A that hasn't been started in a decade? My thoughts are this: Oil change, most definitely with the screen, fuel screen/filter, air filter, service or replace plugs, introduce some oil into the cylinders directly and rotate by hand to coat the cylinders, drain old fuel and replace, oil under the rocker covers, check carb for obstructions or dirt or living creatures and clean as necessary, possibly replace plug wires. After all of that is done, rotate by hand a bit more to circulate some oil, then give her a try and see what happens. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!!

2. After sitting for so long, the airplane has accumulated a coarse black substance on some of the control surfaces, similar to rust...but not rust, I think....maybe aluminum oxide??? To run your hand over it, it feels like a very coarse sand paper and is pretty hard set. Any ideas on how to remove this stuff or what exactly it is? It's not mildew, that has already come off.

3. The maintenance manual refers to servicing the nose shock strut with "air" vs. nitrogen. I can't seem to find a good answer to this question, but is compressor air appropriate?

Otherwise, the airplane is in great shape. I am just looking for some pointers before I try to start the engine, and maybe some pointers on how to remove that black stuff from the control surfaces.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!
 
Jeff after putting oil into the cylinders if you keep turning the engine over you are doing nothing but scraping the oil you put in the cylinders off. You are not moving any oil through the system. Fog the cylinders and start it after what you stated, an oil change with filter and screen cleaned.
Save some of the oil and send it off to be checked. Some would say its a waste of time and money doing this on oil that has sat this long but you will still get a metal content of this oil and a base line for the next readings.
The black stuff I would clean this up and all the parts or hinges and see what they look like. I would bet a lot of this is the oil used to keep these parts lubed and dirt that has stuck to this over time. Rain and such has made this streak down and look like this. I could be wrong this is why a good cleaning of everything is needed and inspection of EVERY piece in the system. You might be taking a lot apart but its needed if you have doubts.

Tony
 
I trailer airplanes in this condition. Its not worth the loss of life. Screw the airplane its about the pilot.
Yes air from your air compressor will work and what was used in the 172 I spoke about.
Trailer it home.

Tony
 
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Tony.....
 

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Any pics of the black substance?
 
pull the plugs and fill the cylinders with WD 40 or kerosene and let it sit for day or two before trying to start the motor. This could save you a few dollars.
Congratulations with your new bird and have fun .
P.S Before starting. crank the engine a few times without the plugs to get rid of the WD-40 in the cylinders .
 
That black stuff on the wings looks suspiciously like corrosion. The skins might be seriously pitted. You'd need to scrub it off carefully (really fine Scotch-Brite, the gray stuff) and see what's under it. Look for little "mole tracks" under the paint that indicate filiform corrosion.

The fuel tanks? I'd never go sticking anything electric inside a tank that has its cap off. The vapors around the filler are in the flammable concentration range.

There are rubber strips in the fuel bays, below the tanks on the hat sections where the tank is supported, and on the aluminum straps that hold the tanks down. Those rubbers will be all hard and crumbling and coming off, and the tank will be chafed by the straps and supports. If the tanks aren't taken right out and the whole area fixed up, leaks aren't far off. And leaky tanks are WAY more expensive to fix than installing new rubber strips. The short sections of 3/8" hose that connect the crossover vent tube will be old and hard and cracking and you'll soon get fuel fumes in the cabin. Maybe even a drip.

The nose oleo seals are likely shot and will start leaking soon.

Engine hoses will be old and hard and can crumble internally and send bits of stuff to clog things. The 150 won't have oil cooler hoses, but it has a fuel hose that can cause serious trouble.

The whole gist of the foregoing is that rubber stuff rots whether the airplane is flown or not. This advice comes from years of fixing up neglected airplanes.

The O-200 doesn't like oil in its cylinders. It floods and fouls the bottom plugs. And the rocker cover insides don't need oiling; the stuff inside will get oil when the engine is started. Better to take all the sparkplugs out and motor the engine with the starter until the oil pressure comes up. You might find that the hydraulic lifters have sludged up and might stick, messing up compression on some cylinders and clacking in others.

Look for cracks in the top corners of the fuselage bulkhead at the back of the baggage compartment. That area flexes due to rudder/fin forces and there's a Service Bulletin fix for it.

Old airplanes can be expensive fun.

Dan
 
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Nose strut is FLAT, engine is going to be need to be checked (as in taken apart) looks like corrosion on the wings, hope it's not found it way anywhere under the skin, spar, carry throughs etc. So it was left outside in grass for a decade in humid Georgia, also that N number is probably long expired.

Hope you aren't in it more then 3-5k
 
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Dan Thomas said:
That black stuff on the wings looks suspiciously like corrosion. The skins might be seriously pitted. You'd need to scrub it off carefully (really fine Scotch-Brite, the gray stuff) and see what's under it. Look for little "mole tracks" under the paint that indicate filiform corrosion.

The fuel tanks? I'd never go sticking anything electric inside a tank that has its cap off. The vapors around the filler are in the flammable concentration range.

There are rubber strips in the fuel bays, below the tanks on the hat sections where the tank is supported, and on the aluminum straps that hold the tanks down. Those rubbers will be all hard and crumbling and coming off, and the tank will be chafed by the straps and supports. If the tanks aren't taken right out and the whole area fixed up, leaks aren't far off. And leaky tanks are WAY more expensive to fix than installing new rubber strips. The short sections of 3/8" hose that connect the crossover vent tube will be old and hard and cracking and you'll soon get fuel fumes in the cabin. Maybe even a drip.

The nose oleo seals are likely shot and will start leaking soon.

Engine hoses will be old and hard and can crumble internally and send bits of stuff to clog things. The 150 won't have oil cooler hoses, but it has a fuel hose that can cause serious trouble.

The whole gist of the foregoing is that rubber stuff rots whether the airplane is flown or not. This advice comes from years of fixing up neglected airplanes.

The O-200 doesn't like oil in its cylinders. It floods and fouls the bottom plugs. And the rocker cover insides don't need oiling; the stuff inside will get oil when the engine is started. Better to take all the sparkplugs out and motor the engine with the starter until the oil pressure comes up. You might find that the hydraulic lifters have sludged up and might stick, messing up compression on some cylinders and clacking in others.

Look for cracks in the top corners of the fuselage bulkhead at the back of the baggage compartment. That area flexes due to rudder/fin forces and there's a Service Bulletin fix for it.

Old airplanes can be expensive fun.

Dan
Click to expand...

Dan you know I never thought about sticking a point and shoot camera in a wet tank. I just did it. I took all sorts of pics while that camera was stuck in that tank. Not sure I will do it again. Maybe put the camera in video mode and stick it in just running video and not snapping pics.

For sticking lifters MM oil works wonders at loosening these from being stuck from sludge.

From my understand the seal kit for the front is not expensive under 30 bucks.

Myself I replace all hoses on an airplane such as this. All oil lines and fuel lines. Can not forget about fuel filters and any other filter.

Tony
 
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On an airplane such as this a borescope is your best friend. Remove things to get to area's you will never be able to see.

Tony
 
Great info everyone!!! Thanks so much for the insight!!! Just an update, the black crud on the wings is apparently some sort of mildew or mold. I used a scotch brite pad and some soap and water as suggested by you all before trying any chemicals. It scrubs right off to reveal pretty decent paint underneath with no pitting or tracks at all!!! Excited about that....now a new question: i made the observation that the torque links are on the front of the nose strut. The airframe manual for a 67 model shows thw torque links on the rear. After touring around my home field a little bit, i've noticed that most aircraft similar have the torque links in the rear...i can find anything specifically to say this is incorrect. Can anyone advise? Design difference, doesnt really matter or incorrectly assembled by the last person who serviced it? Also, i intend to have the motor thoroughly inspected and/or rebuilt and in the least will replace some hoses, plugs, screens, oil, fuel etc...however, i removed the cowlings yesterday an got a good look underneath. It looks pretty good. I peered into the cylinders as best as I could with a pen light and from what i could see, which wasnt much, the interior surfaces are majority clean and shiny. Thanks for all of the replies! Pics to follow!


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Congrats. Just inspect everything and repair as needed. I'd probably pull a jug to get a look at the inside. If everything looked great and the thing was otherwise legal/could be made legal I wouldn't be overhauling the engine with nothing indicating I should do so.
 
As far as the torque links, there was I think a couple years that cessna ran the links on the front of the 150. I think it also takes a bigger front tire size then the average 150.
 
Awesome, thanks! I was thinking the same Jesse. I'm at least going to see what happens when i am ready to try to start it. I guess my biggest question at that point which will be for an AP to decide is if it is worthy of a ferry permit or if I have to remove the wings and trailer it home. So far everything seems in great shape considering....LUVRV8, i looked around a little bit and found one or two similar year models that had them in the front...still kinda curious about it though. I was thinking a difference in design... I guess it might be logical to think that it would only go together one way and still work....great info to know. I think you are probably correct.


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